Fire Up Your Run

A few years ago I saw a 3M YouTube video called "No White at Night" that showed how important reflectivity gear is when running at night.

In the video, several runners are running towards the camera in the dark. At first you only see three runners, but there are actually seven. Four of them are wearing white t-shirts and you can't see them until they are 250 feet away. That's too close for comfort if there are vehicles around.

The video is from 2011. While its message is just as critical today as it was in 2011, reflectivity gear has come a long way in the last five years.

Embracing Run:Walk Intervals

I discovered Run:Walk intervals by accident. And I am glad that I did, because they have been the most effective component of keeping my neuromas from flaring up and causing numb feet during my runs.

Goal: Non-Stop Running

When I first started running again a little over three years ago, my goal was to increase the distance I could run without needing to take a break to walk. I viewed stopping to walk as a sign of weakness, and I wanted to be strong like I used to be in the races I ran 20 years ago. I felt a real sense of accomplishment when I finally ran a 5k without stopping to walk at all.

But when I ran both the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run and Nike Women's Half, the numbness in my feet was so severe that I had to keep stopping over and over again during the early miles to loosen my laces and stomp my feet. I lost a lot of valuable time and felt incredibly frustrated.

Diagnosis: Neuromas

I ran for a couple more months with the numbness becoming more of a factor during my runs. Finally I went to see a foot specialist and learned I had neuromas in both my feet. I found some relief through SuperFeet inserts, LockLaces, and wider shoes. And then in September I stumbled upon Run:Walk intervals.

Accidentally Discovering Run:Walk

How does one just stumble upon Run:Walk intervals? Well, I had been wanting to go to the regular Thursday night fun run at Reston Potomac River Running for a long time, but I was often working in DC on Thursdays and just couldn't swing it. Then, finally, I had a Thursday telecommute day and made it to the run.

I ran with the Reston Runners BFFs (Best Foot Forward), who happen to do Run:Walk intervals of 4:2 (4 minutes of running, followed by 2 minutes of walking). And I was hooked! I found that taking regular walk breaks seemed to help ease the pressure building in my feet and help keep the neuromas from flaring. I also discovered that I was just as fast with the Run:Walk combo. Win-win.

Using Run:Walk During Races

Since then, I've trained & used 5:1 intervals for several other big races: Army Ten-Miler, Philly Half, the 2015 Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run. I've continued to improve my speed, and the neuromas are far less of a factor than they used to be. It's not a miracle cure - the intensity of race pace puts more pressure on my feet than training runs and I do find I still have to stop to loosen my laces at some point during the race. But now, it is typically only one stop. An added bonus from the walk intervals is that I have a built-in opportunity to sip water and take fuel on a consistent schedule.

The Experiment

About a month ago I had an unanticipated test of Run:Walk vs. Run. I had runs planned on both Saturday and Sunday with different people. Both runs ended up being the same four mile course. On Saturday we ran intervals. On Sunday, the women I was running with didn't really want to run intervals, so we just ran straight through. I had to stop and loosen my laces several times. I couldn't feel my left foot for last the two miles. My body was giving me clear signals that I was ignoring and I didn't really enjoy the run. And you know what? My average pace for both runs was pretty much the same.

If there had been any doubt in my mind about what works best for me, it was settled that weekend. Run:Walk intervals clearly work the best for my body. And I no longer see walking as a sign of weakness. Incorporating the walk intervals gives me strength and makes me a better runner.

Conquering Neuromas

Three weeks ago I was diagnosed with neuromas in my feet. It manifests as numbness in both feet after I've run a couple of miles. I've been working my way through my doctor's recommendations with mixed results. Today I finally begin to see the light at the end of tunnel. What have I tried?

KT Tape for Neuromas
Yes, there's an app(lication) for that. KT Tape has helped me through a couple of injuries, so I thought I would try it out for my neuromas. It didn't really make a difference - it didn't make it worse, it didn't make it better. But it was fun to try!

Metatarsal Pads & Superfeet
The metatarsal pads were similar to the KT Tape - didn't make it worse, didn't make it better. I may still experiment with them a couple more times to be sure, but they just didn't seem to make a difference.

The Superfeet have been great. I don't know how much of a difference they are making for my neuromas, but I can tell that they are impacting my running form in a positive way and giving me good support overall. I've starting wearing them in my regular shoes, too. My new motto is, "don't leave home without them!"

L to R: Superfeet for dress flats, Berry Superfeet.
Berry Superfeet with Metatarsal Pad

LockLaces & Alternate Lacing
Using LockLaces has been very helpful for creating more space for my toes, and they are quickly adjusted on the run if I find they are too tight.

I tried a couple of different lacing patterns to add some more space to my shoes. It helped a bit, but not enough. It signaled that adding some space was a step in the right direction, though...

extra space from skipping one eyelet helped
a little bit...

extra space from skipping multiple eyelets
helped even more
(Rhett loves those lock laces!)

Wider Shoes
This was the first suggestion my doctor had. And something Coach Shannon has been gently suggesting to me for a while. I don't know why I've been so resistant to buying wider shoes. But I finally did it. I stayed with the Saucony Guides that have been working well for my pronation. I bought a size 6 wide. My regular (non-running) shoes are a size 5. I've had to work my way up to this - first a size 5-1/2 (back in March), then a size 6 (July), and finally the 6 wide. The good news is that I have run twice with my new wider shoes, and so far have had no numbness. Let's hope this is the solution!

Size 6 Wide

Uncomfortably Numb

I've been having ongoing problems with my feet going numb after 3 miles or so.  This is not a new problem for me, but I often didn't run much farther than 3 miles so I was able to tough it out and generally ignore it.  Now that I'm running longer distances, though, that isn't a very practical approach.  I've followed up on various suggestions, and not yet hit on the magic solution.

Approach #1: Get bigger shoes
I was wearing a size 5 shoe, which is the same size shoe that I wear when I'm not running.  We've all heard the advice - size up at least a half size, maybe even a full size for running.  So I finally broke down and got a size 5.5.  I don't know why I've been so resistant to this.  The larger shoes feel better, but the numbness hasn't gone away.  And a 6 really is too big.

Approach #2: Experiment with lacing
Loosening my laces can help take some of the pressure off.  I've also tried various lacing patterns that are designed to reduce the pressure.  Below is the most recent lacing pattern I was trying.  The laces run parallel until the forth pair of eyelets.  Again, it seemed to help, but not enough.  I had to stop several times during miles 4-6 to keep loosening my laces.  By the end my feet were still numb and I was surprised I wasn't running right out of my shoes they were so loose!

Approach #3: Lock laces

I am now the proud owner of a pair of lock laces. They are no-tie elastic laces and some folks have found them helpful for numbness.  I had a bit of trouble getting them into my shoes (the eyelets were too narrow for the laces), but cutting off the tips helped with that.  I wasn't sure if I should try an alternate lacing pattern designed to reduce pressure or go with the regular pattern.  I laced them using the Lydiard lacing approach and found they were ridiculously loose, so I went with the standard pattern.  You can see my new laces below:

I'm really hoping this does the trick, and I'm open to any suggestions my readers may have!  I think my next step may have to be going to a podiatrist or other specialist to see if I have a nerve problem that can easily(?) be addressed.  Some of my research indicates that this numbness may relate to Morton's Foot Syndrome, which is a classy way of saying my second toe is longer than my big toe.  Wish me luck, and let me know if you have any ideas!